Huntington's+Disease

==** Huntington's disease is a disorder where specific nerve cells disintegrate. If you have Huntington's disease it is because there is a genetic defect on chromosone number 4. Instead of having the part of the DNA, CGA, repeat 10 to 35 times it repeats 36 to 120 times. The longer the gene has been passed on, the more repeats you have. If you have more repeats you will most likely experience the symptoms at a younger age. There are two types of Huntington's disease. Adult-onset is the most common type of Huntington's disease. People with this type usually experience symptoms between their mid 30's and 40's. If you have the early-onset type of Huntington's disease you will experience symptoms between childhood and adolescence. If you have a parent with Huntington's disease you have a 50% chance of getting the disease. **==

==** ﻿ ﻿You may experience behavior chances befor movement problems which include antisocial behaviors, hallucinations, irritability, moodiness, restlessness or fidgeting, paranoia, and psychosis. Some unusual movements that may occur are head turning to shift eye position, facial movements including grimaces, slow uncontrolled movements, quick, sudden, sometimes wild jerking movements of the arms, legs, face, and other body parts, and ujnsteady gait. The ones that slowly gets worse are loss of memory, loss of judgement, speech changes, personality changes, and disorientation or confusion. Some other symptoms that could be associated with the disease are anxiety, stress, tension, difficulty swallowing, and speech impairment. The symptoms in children are rigidity, slow movements, and tremor. **==

==** Huntington's disease does not have a cure and there is nothing you can do to stop it from getting worse. People with the disease can take medication to keep them functioning for as long and comfortably as they can. As the disease gets worse the patients might need 24 hour supervision. They might also need a pyschiatrist and a genetic counselor. These specialists are helpful to those with Huntington's disease but the first thing the patients do is get a neurologist. Even though the disease cannot be cured there are many things that help people with Huntington's disease. **==